Is your cat acting strangely? Dropping food? Avoiding their water dish? When your furry feline gets finicky with their food (or anything else), their whiskers are probably one of the last things you think about. However, your cat’s whiskers are constantly picking up signals, and sometimes, they get overloaded, leading to whisker fatigue.
What Is Whisker Fatigue?
Does the idea of tired whiskers have you raising an eyebrow? Whisker fatigue refers to how your cat can become stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed when their whiskers take in too much information. Think about it like this, instead.
Picture how you feel after scrolling through your phone for hours, bombarded by social media posts, news notifications, and constant texts. You may get so overwhelmed by the constant onslaught of information that you have to put down your phone and close your eyes.
Now, apply that same scenario to your cat’s whiskers. They aren’t just cute. They’re extremely sensitive organs that your pet uses to assess their environment. They also possibly even act as a form of cat communication.
Whiskers collect information, sending it to the brain like little antennae. Cats use their whiskers to navigate in the dark, decide if they can squeeze through tight spaces, and even land on their feet. When you consider everything whiskers do, it becomes easier to see how and why they could affect your cat’s overall well-being.
What Causes Whisker Fatigue in Cats?
Whisker fatigue is not a disease or illness, nor is it caused by one of these things. Instead, the theory of whisker fatigue can be attributed to one main cause: information overload.
Information Overload
Cats use their whiskers constantly to gather vital information from their surroundings. Your cat relies on their whiskers to tell them where they can find food, how to move through a space, and determine even the subtlest changes in the environment.
Your feline buddy also uses their whiskers as a warning system. Whiskers help cats identify potential dangers, including nearby predators, by picking up on small movements or strange, unfamiliar objects.
The popular belief is that as your cat’s whiskers come into constant contact with items, like food and water bowls, it can lead to whisker fatigue. The whiskers brush up against an object, overwhelming your pet’s receptors, leading to system overload.
Since whiskers are so sensitive, they take in a ton of information, sending it all to your kitty’s brain. When too much data flows in at once, it can stress your cat.
How Do I Tell If My Cat Has Whisker Fatigue?
The biggest indicator of whisker fatigue typically occurs during mealtimes or when your cat’s getting water. How your cat acts around their dishes can tip you off to potential stress, showing the following signs:
- Pacing in front of their dishes
- Avoiding eating from their bowls, even though they seem hungry
- Removing food from the bowl with a paw so they can eat it off the floor
- Acting aggressively toward other pets in the home
What Helps Cats With Whisker Fatigue?
Some pet parents say that using a wide, shallow bowl could potentially help ease whisker fatigue since it decreases the chance of your cat’s whiskers touching the sides. However, a study on different cat bowl preferences found that there was no significant difference between food intake, although some cats did show a preference for the shallower, wider dishes.
Other suggestions are to provide your cat with a spacious living environment so they can move around with minimal whisker contact. Keep your home clutter-free to help with this, and choose pet beds with low sides to reduce the chance of whisker fatigue.
Think You Cat Has Whisker Fatigue? Don’t Do This!
No matter how certain you are that your cat has whisker fatigue, never trim their whiskers! This messes with your cat’s sensory systems, making it harder for them to assess their environment, detect danger, and more.
Overall, they get confused (and really frustrated). It’s like setting out on a road trip to somewhere you’ve never been with a disabled GPS.
When Should You Call the Vet?
Whisker fatigue isn’t an illness, but it can be a sign of other underlying issues. Plus, the signs you attribute to whisker fatigue can also be symptoms of other problems.
For example, if you notice your cat being picky with their food, not eating as much, or dropping food, you might suspect whisker fatigue. However, cats do these things for other reasons, too. Other potential problems could be gastrointestinal issues, kidney disease, or even poor dental health.
Therefore, it’s a good rule of thumb to bring your cat to the vet whenever you notice any unusual behavior, especially when it persists. Also, bring your pet to the vet if the behavior accompanies other symptoms or weight loss.
When in doubt, erring on the side of caution is recommended. Your vet should examine your pet to rule out any possible underlying causes before assuming whisker fatigue.
They’ll ask you about your cat’s symptoms, perform a physical exam, and may even run various tests, like bloodwork, imaging tests, and other labs. Once the doctor makes their various assessments, together, you and your vet can determine the best action plan for your pet’s unique situation.
What If It Isn’t Whisker Fatigue?
As mentioned previously, many different things can cause a finicky appetite in cats. Dental disease can lead to some of the same symptoms as whisker fatigue, as can liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and kidney problems.
However, a fickle appetite doesn’t just have to be because of physical reasons. If you have multiple cats, some of your fur babies might bully others, causing those on the receiving end of the bullying to adopt abnormal eating behaviors.
Other sources of stress, like moving to a new home or the arrival of a new baby, can also contribute to appetite loss. Your pet may also be experiencing some type of physical discomfort, like a cut in their mouth or a hurt paw, that makes them not want to eat.
Cats tend to be masters at hiding pain, so it can be tricky to notice if something is amiss. That is why it is even more important to contact your vet as soon as you see anything strange or suspect your cat is acting differently.
Is Your Cat Dealing With Whisker Fatigue?
When your cat’s whiskers get overloaded, it can lead to stress, overwhelming your feline friend. But signs of whisker fatigue can mimic the symptoms of other possible health issues, including gastrointestinal and dental problems.
Therefore, although there are some basic things you can do to ease whisker fatigue, always observe your cat’s behavior. If you suspect something isn’t right, it’s best to pay a visit to the vet instead of waiting to see how things play out.
To find more information about taking care of your fur babies, make sure to check out the rest of the Neater Pets blog. We're always adding more information and resources geared toward helping you improve your pet-parenting skills. You’ll also find ways to make the most of the time you have with your faithful companion so you can give your pet the very best.